Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-30
THE GREATEST OF CLOWNS.
Interesting History Of the Famous Dan
Rice.
HIS RAPID RISE AND FALL
Participating in Lively journalistic
War His Aspirations-Gcniu
Made Him aud Rum
Ruined Him.

Ruined Him.
Philadelphia News: Dan Rice's proper
name was Daniel McLarren. Exactly
where in the country he was born do
not know, but when Il small lad he be.
came stable boy around the famous
race tracks, and enjoyed the soubriquet
of Dusty Dan" His agility was amaz.
ing, and he soon developed such athletic
powers that he became professional
acrobat He possessed wonderful
strength and indomitable courage. One
of his first public Appearances, strange to
say, was as a pugilist. 1 hayc q record
of the fact that in 1928 the Pennsylvania
legislature adjourned to witness at Har-
rlsburg boxing contest between George
kensett and Dan Rice. Kensctt was the
Sullivan of his day, and at the time of
which speak he had Just defeated IN the
ring Ned Hammond, the contest being
really the first bug tstic encounter in this
country. 1t is tifty-nine years since he
made his public appearance in the state
capital, and rs he could not have been
very far from his twentieth milestone at
that time, the greatest clown this
country has known must now be almost
an octOgcneatian.
In those early days of the circus the
clown was the main feature of the show.
and upon his personal popularity its
success depended. Besides possessing a
store of ready witticisms, he was required
to be a good all-around acrobat and well
acquainted with the management of
horses. Rice was well equipped in all
these respects, and besides, although un-
educated, he was blessed with "the gift
of the CAB When he first entered the
arena rs Il clown he modelled his work
after that of Wallet, II famous English
jester, and soon found himself in the
front rank. His first great successes
were made in the west and southwest,
and in these sections of the country his
name is still revered by the older in
habtants.
Dan Rice's popularity grew to such an
extent, especially in the southwestern
country, that in due time he started
forth with Il show of his own, the main
features of which were himself and
wonderfully trained pure white stallion
ayers to speak of the exhibition face
tlously as ''the one-horse show" but it
was Il winner all the same, and the horse
proved such drawing card that when
he died his place was quickly supplanted
by another milky steed who bore the
same name. This show was housed on a
large steamboat that sailed along the
Mississippi river and its branches. When
the previously billed town was reached,
the show would steam up to the levee and
unload and the small tent would soon be
raised over some desirable spot. Rice
would then haranguc the populace from
the hotel balconc, or from the court
house steps if at Il county seat. He was
an admirable stump orator: He would
speak tluently upon any subject that was
agitating the public mind, and at the con-
cusion of his address would invite every
body to visit Dan Rice's Great and Only
Show and there were few who declined
the invitation. Ii IN opposition show got
on his route in advance of him he would
steam ahead to whore it was about to ex-
hibit and stop IN the same town and make
an appearance without having been pre-
viously billed, without q printed pro-
gramme, and without regard to the en-
gagement he had thus cancelled. tie
would simply lead procession of his
horses and men through the town, ad-
dress the people and invite them to visit
his show. And they did. while the almost
tenantless tents of his rival warned them
against intruding on the route of the one
horse show.
His competitors found in many man
ageral battles that it was impossible to
worst Dan Rice. To his ability as a
clown he added displays of public char
ity and public spirit that won the sincere
affection of the people. One of the city
parks in New Orleans is surrounded with
an iron fence which he erected. He made
liberal donations toward the building of
churches, orphan asylums, and market
houses, Frequently while participating
scattered hatful of coins among the
boys who flocked around him. Nor were
these acts of munticence ever deferred
by the fact that Rlce's creditors were
at the same time vanly clamoring for the
money due them. He never allowed pri-
vate obligations to check his ebulltlons
of public spirit. There are more like
him.
One of his managerial wars landed him
temporarily in Blue Eagle Jail in Albany,
N. Y. He had become involved in q
bitter contest with the late DIR. Spaulding,
the father of the present Charles Spauld-
ing, manager of the Olympic theatre, st.
Louis. Spaulding & Rogers, and after
wards Spaulding & Bidwell, conducted
theatrical and circus enterprises princi
pally IN, st. Louis, Mobile, Mem
show and one Of DIR. Spaulding's
fell foul of each other, aud the war
had reached the depth OF bitterness when
both enterprises exhibited in Albany.
AT that time the Albany Wing, a news
paper noted for its virulence. was pub
lished in New York's capital city by
George Jones, present editor of the
Times, and was edited by the late Hugh
Hastings, atterward publisher of the
Commercial Advertiser. In its compos-
ing room was printer named Chester
Clarence Moore. who was at times en-
ployed to write handbills for amusement
enterprises, a peculiar flow of language
Of which he was posses sed fitting him for
the task. DIR. Spaulding happened
across Moore and employed him to write
letter lampoomng Dan Rice, and it was
published in the Wing. Rice also met
Moore, and in ignorance OF his relation
TO the matter, asked him if he would un-
dertake to answer the attack made upon
him. The printer promptly accepted
the task, and and the next issue of the
Wing went for Spauding hammer and
tongs. Thenceforth the contest waged
bitterly, Moore writing on both sides OF
the question with equal vim and viru-
lence. In one of his articles on Spauld-
ing, which, of course, was signed by